Devon, Sturgeon County, and Strathcona County will leave Edmonton Global in 2026, voting recently to follow through on their 2023 announcements that they would depart as the window to reverse those decisions was set to close.
The decisions are part of a growing conversation about how regional economic cooperation and planning will work in the future. In 2023, member municipalities abandoned the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Transit Commission. In January, the provincial government pulled funding for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, which subsequently folded. Across 2023 and 2024, six municipalities announced intentions to leave Edmonton Global. In October, the organization's newly-hired CEO, Daryn Edgar, said she planned to refresh municipal relationships. And in November, newly elected Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said figuring out regional cooperation was high on his agenda. "As a region, we stand far more to gain if we're actually working together," Knack said on an episode of Speaking Municipally.
Edmonton and 14 surrounding municipalities launched Edmonton Global in 2018. The stated aim was to attract foreign investment by selling a region rather than an individual municipality. (The town of Bon Accord left shortly after Edmonton Global started operations.) "This is the most important thing we need to do — pull the region together," then Edmonton mayor Don Iveson said at the time. "But that would not be possible without all of you agreeing that that was what we needed to do."
In late 2023, councils in Devon, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, Parkland County, and Fort Saskatchewan all voted to end their Edmonton Global membership. In December 2024, Leduc County did the same. Each had a two-year window to change course, with an optional three-month extension. Fort Saskatchewan, Parkland County, and Leduc County have not yet voted on their final course, though two will make that decision before the end of 2025. Once departed, municipalities must wait five years to reapply for membership.
Taproot reached out to the six municipalities to learn what's next. Each provided their sense of how regional cooperation could work in the future.
Devon
Devon's town council voted to proceed with an exit on Nov. 10. Town administration noted in a report that Devon was paying $29,000 per year for membership. Edmonton Global had offered a deadline extension until March 31, at a cost of $7,300 in dues. The town declined.
"Devon is not reconsidering its decision," Justin Janke, a spokesperson for Devon's council, told Taproot. "Council made this choice after a detailed review of all municipal expenses and priorities. Like many municipalities in Alberta, Devon is facing significant fiscal pressures, and council wanted to ensure every dollar provides strong value to residents and taxpayers."
Janke said Devon will continue to pursue international and domestic investment by attending industry events. He added that the town will continue to work with Invest Alberta, a provincial Crown corporation, to attract foreign investment. "This organization offers very similar tailored assistance in investment attraction that Edmonton Global does, but without the shareholder fees."
Sturgeon County
Sturgeon County council voted to confirm its stated intention to leave Edmonton Global at a meeting on Nov. 25. Edmonton Global made a presentation at that same meeting, but did not change council's mind.
"Sturgeon County and other shareholders have expressed concerns about the organization's return on investment, as well as matters related to governance, strategic alignment, and reporting," Mayor Alanna Hnatiw told Taproot in a statement. "Shareholders also have no meaningful role in key decision-making, despite funding the organization; the county has advocated for a greater role and line-of-sight in board decisions and direction, but we do not feel at this time that enough meaningful change has occurred."
A file photo from the 2018 launch of Edmonton Global. (Mack Male/Flickr))
Hnatiw said the county will focus on its own economic development team, as well as partnerships with Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association, Invest Alberta, Invest Canada, and others. "Sturgeon County's withdrawal from Edmonton Global is not a withdrawal from the region. We remain deeply committed to regional collaboration that is effective, transparent, and aligned with our needs and interests," she said.
Strathcona County
Strathcona County council voted on Nov. 30 to finalize its exit from Edmonton Global — at least for now. Laura Meador, a spokesperson for the county, told Taproot the county will continue to monitor changes at Edmonton Global and may reconsider membership at a later time.
Ahead of the vote, Mayor Rod Frank said he felt there was a duplication of effort in the region.
"There's a huge opportunity, with Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association, for example, in the sense that it's highly, highly specialized in energy and petrochemical (development)," Frank told Taproot. "It would be impossible for any other organization to duplicate that. So why duplicate it? Why not just work together? It would be better if, at a higher level, we could coordinate these administrative duties and meetings and commitments."
Fort Saskatchewan
While Fort Saskatchewan's council has not yet made its final decision on membership in Edmonton Global, Mayor Lisa Makin told Taproot she sees the same concern today as in 2023.
"We were looking for more direct oversight over Edmonton Global," Makin said. "In discussions with them, it didn't feel like there was a path for that with their board."
The county's council will discuss its membership in Edmonton Global on Dec. 9
Parkland County
Parkland County Mayor Rod Shaigec has returned to the role after sitting out the 2021 election due to a serious injury. He was not part of the 2023 vote to leave Edmonton Global, and he said he thinks council should hear Edmonton Global out before committing to the exit.
"I think (new leadership) provides a natural moment to pause and really carefully assess the organization's direction and the value that will provide to the regional partners," Shaigec told Taproot. "When you get a new person in the big chair, the CEO's chair, I think they bring a different perspective and a different approach."
Parkland County Council will discuss its membership at a meeting before the end of 2025.
Leduc County
Leduc County Mayor Tanni Doblanko said the county's current plan is to bet on itself, not Edmonton Global, even though council's deadline is a year away.
"We are in the heart of Alberta as a beacon of diverse opportunities for business, with the lowest non-residential property tax rate in the region, and connectivity to world markets," Doblanko told Taproot in an email. "Our priority is our passion: Advocating for Leduc County to be the first choice for businesses to call home."
She said the county is nonetheless open to future discussions with Edmonton Global.
Edmonton Global responds
Edmonton Global's founding CEO, Malcolm Bruce, toured member municipalities to listen to their concerns in the first half of 2024. In August 2024, he told Taproot that "if a municipality decides that they're going to leave … then we will have to adjust our value proposition."
In October, Bruce's successor, Daryn Edgar, said that "Edmonton region stakeholders want to be appreciated for what they have that's unique, and so I'm going to use those values and meet with all the region's (stakeholder municipalities)."
In a written statement, Edgar added in November that the organization understands municipalities have different budgetary pressures and priorities, and that the door to regional economic development remains open.
"Our focus is on transparency, accountability, and delivering measurable value," Edgar wrote. "Whether municipalities remain shareholders or choose to engage with us in other ways, our commitment is the same: To support regional prosperity, attract investment, and champion a vibrant, globally competitive Edmonton region."